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3 Answers

Rate of Turn?

Asked by: 14974 views Aerodynamics

can some one explain to me exactly what is meant by rate of turn??

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3 Answers



  1. Brian on Aug 18, 2011

    The number of degrees your heading changes in a period of time, usually one second or one minute. A standard rate turn, typically spoken of in terms of instrument flight, is performed at 180 degrees of heading change in a one minute period. This gives a complete 360 turn in two minutes.
     
    Rate will always refer to a change of something (turn in this case) in relation to a period of time. 

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  2. Nathan Parker on Aug 18, 2011

    The number of degrees the flight path changes per second.

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  3. John D. Collins on Aug 18, 2011

    Rate of turn is usually defined as the number of degrees per second or other unit of time that an aircraft is turning.  A standard rate of turn is 3 degrees per second, so a full course reversal of 180 degrees would take one minute at the standard rate.  To complete a full circle would take two minutes.  The turn coordinator or rate of turn indicator has markings on them to indicate the aircraft is turning at the standard rate. Rate of turn is a function of speed and bank angle.  Standard rate varies between 10 and 25 degrees for most of the piston airplanes we fly. An approximate rule of thumb to determine the angle of bank required for a standard rate of turn is to subtract 50 from the true airspeed and divide the result by 5, so at 100 Kts the approximate angle of bank to achieve (100-50)/5 = 10 degrees.

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